Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs) & Risk Management:
What distinguished success from failure for two SMEs with respect to their approach to risk

Ioannou, Constantinos
(2015)
Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs) & Risk Management:
What distinguished success from failure for two SMEs with respect to their approach to risk.
[Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)]

Abstract

This project was written in order to find out how two firms in my country operated and the reasons why one succeeded and the other one failed. The analysis was done solely by primary research. Four people from each organization participated in the interviews. I conducted a qualitative research, which included interviews, based on the following businesses:

a) P.A.E.E.K.: A sport facility

b) Curves: A Gym line only for women

The particular research project includes interviews from owners, managers and employees of these two businesses. The interviews were done in Greek and were then translated in English. Furthermore, the interviews were recorded. I conducted a semi-structured style of interview, as I did not have a formal list of questions that I followed word by word. Finally, I tried to show reflexivity when conducting my interviews. It was discovered that one had prospects to succeed from the beginning, and it can maintain this success for many years to come by improving some things. The other was driven to failure without it being a surprise. They made mistakes and they paid for them.